John ii



July s, 1927.

J. H. NELSON ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed `June 3. 1925` 2 Sheets-Smet 2 Patented July 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. NELSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CASKEY-DUIREE MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF COLDWATER, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application led June 3, 1925.

My invention relates to electrical switches and is of particular' service in conjunction with ignition switches employed upon automotive vehicles,- being of especial utility when embodied in a combined ignition and lighting switch.

In carrying out my invention I employ a handle in lost motion connection with a. cl'rcuit closing member for the ignition circuit, the amount of the lost motion to be taken up before this member is closed by the handle being known by those authorized, and being only ascertainable by others upon experimentation which would cause such delay in making the ignition circuit `operative as would discourage an automobile thief. Ignition switch locks may thus bedispensed with.

Vhere my invention is embodied in a com bined ignition and lighting switch, I em ploy a lighting switch memberoperable by the same switch handle and which is in oo ntrolling relation to the main head light clrcuits and the tail light' circuit Whilel the ignition circuit closing Vmember is closed and during the portion of the vrange of the movement of the handle when the handleis out of operating relation with this ignition switch-member. The parking light circults and the tail light circuit, also, may be closed by the lighting switch member, when the ignition circuit is open.

The invention will be more fully explained in connection with the vaccompa Dying.draw-l; ings in which Fig. lis a rearv or bottom View of the switching mechanism of my invention as it is preferablyconstructed: Fig. 2 isa sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3'

is a sectional View oniline 33` of Fig. 2,' Fig. 4 is a 'sectional' View on line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5' isa sectional view 0n line.

5-5 of'Fig. 3; Figli 6 isA a'front View on a reduced scale; and Fig7 is a diagram showing one arrangement of circuits and the switching mechanism of' y invention as it is preferably relatedthereto.

The circuit controlling handle 1 has Aa hub portion 2 formed with wings or flanges 3 at its circularubase ory inner end 4. This circular hub base is freely received lwithin a circular openingy fformedlthrough and coaxial with the Amounting and', escutcheon` plate 6 that has openings 7 by which it and the switch assembled therewith may be mounted upon an automobile dash board or'` 'i other` support. The cylindrical switch eas-'- Serial No. 34,550.

or front end wall 10 of the casing beingf depressed to afford a narrow space in which the wings or flanges 3 of the handle may freely move when the handle is turned upon the axis defined by the circular edge of the opening 5. A rotatable contact actuator 11., preferably a ring of insulating material, is assembled withthe inwardly extending continuations 12 of the hub 2 that enter recesses 11 in ring 11, this actuatorbeing located within the casing between the outer end wall 10 of the casing and the insulating contact carrying disc 13 which closes the inner end of the casing; A rotatable Contact carrier 14, shown in the form of al metallic ring, is interposed between the elements 11 and 13. The ring carries contact buttons 16, 17. 18, 19, engageable with certain of the contacts 20, 21, 22, 23,24, 25, 26, 26', 27, which are provided upon the contact carrier 13 and are positioned to be engageable at the inner face of this carrier. The buttons 16, 17, 18, 19 have spring barrel extensions upon the other side of the carrier 14, these spring barrels housing springs 29 which press plungers 30 into recesses formed in the ring 11. The handle, when turned, will turn the ring 11 and theiring,v will turn the contact carrier 14 through thev intermediation of the plungers '30.'A `Another rotatable contact actuator 31, pertaining to the auxiliary switch, is interposedbetween the casine wall 10 and another rotatable contact carrier 32 which is in the form of a triangular metallic plate. This latter'contact carrier has contact buttons 33, 34 thereon which are respectively enga-geable with the battery and ignition circuit contacts 35, 36 upon carrier 13, contacts 33, 35 being upon one side of the common axis of the contact carriers and actuators. A non-electrical button 33 moves upon the insulation 13 to keep carrier 32 level.V The contacts upon this carrier pertain to the ignition and main head light circuits, contact 25upon the carrier 13 pertaining 'to the ignition circuit alone. y

Two symmetrically related series ofinarks each containing marks a, 6,0', d, e, f, g, and z, are arranged equal distances on opposite sides ofthe ol' position of the handle 1, Fig. 7, these marks being arranged upon the escutcheonplate 6. All of thel switche's'be--A ing produced 'by the manufacturer have allof these marks on their csculcheons, the different switches haring other lugs 112, Ell', of various sizes so that in one switch the ele:- trically connected contacts 3? and 3l. are brought in connection with the contacts and `3G when the switch handle index l is brought to a niark l1. lu another switch said lugs would he of such size that this result would he .li'ectcd when the handle index l is at a niark (/1 ctc. In the switch illustrated the contacts 33 and 254i are engaged with the contacts 35 and 3G When the handle index 1 is brought .to a mark f. To insure this result thc handle l is turned from whatever position it may happen to occupy a coniplcl-c. rerolution and enough in'ore to luing it to the proper niark, in this instance either ot' thc marks f, depending upon the direction of the revolution ,of .the handle. The. other marks that are not employed in the particular switch with .which the user is supplied, serrc to confuse anyone tampering with the switch. lli/'hen the switch contacts 253 and l-i hare been thus adjusted into conncction with the battery contacts and 36, the handle is reversed in position to bring thc handle index 1f from the region of the a rcuatc rows of marks a to I L inclusive., into the region of the arcuate ron' of marks that are designated Park, cDa y, Olli, Dini, and zl'iti. 'lheswitch handle may be turned to bring its index l into iegister with any ot the latter marks to respectively close the, park lighting circuits, the bright headlight circuits. the (lim headlight circuits7 (and also the tail light circuit with either ot' the aforesaid three circuit-s) or into register with the Day mark in which none of the lighting circuits is closed while the ignition circuit. remains closed, or into register with the Otl niark in which all lighting circuits and the ignition -circuit are opened, all as will more fully hereinafter appear. That. is, the arrangement is such that there is lost motion between the lug 1l2 which always mores with thc handle and the lug 31 when thc Contact actuator 3l having this lug is positioned to connect the contacts 33 and 34 with the cont-acts and 36. this lost motion ot the lug 11" with respect to the lug 31' occurring in the arcuate section of the travel of 'the handle inde; l' that is above beth marks f in the particular switch illustrated. The cont-rol of the various lighting circuits and, the cont-rol of the ignition circuit that supplements ,the control of the ignition circuit effected by the contact actuator 31, occurs when the handle is being so moved as to cause the handle index 1 to move in the segment of the circular path of 'travel or this index 1' that is .above the segment which terminates at points corresponding to the marks f. The device of my. inrentioh, therefore. does not interfere with the. Qi-'mal ecarte: et e @latine ignition and lighting switch hut adds lo such :i switch structural caturcs whereby the ignition circuit may he opened at a second piace and rendering guc-s work necessary.' on the part of a taniperer to close it at this second place an arra'ngenuuit which :nula-s it unncc" v to employ a key controlled lock. 'l`hcrc`is alu'ays.` lost motion possible hcwccn the lug@ lll' and 231 whether the contacts 2li', and 34 are in connection with the contacts il?) and 3h or not, and if the contacts 335 and ill are in connection with the contacts and 2li?. the switch structure is such that thc. parking lights may then alone he displayed, as will hereinafter appear.

Obviously, the cooperating positions ot' the lugs l12 and 3l do not need to underlie the two sets of marks a to la. but may lic a u rwhere in the circle of rotation o't said lugs'. As illustrated, the contact. actuator 31 is rotatably supported upon the ha ndlc by means of a pivot pin 37 that enters the socket 33 iu the contact actuator 31 and'is carried hy thc wall 3S) at the inner end of the handle huh.` thc pivot pin 37 and the circular contact carricrl being coaxial with the handle huh.

The preferred circuit arrangement is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 7. 'lhe internal combustion hydro-carbon engine. is in driving relation to the automobile or other automotive vehicle and also the generator 46 that is in charging relation to the storage battery 47, the generator also supplementing the battery as a source of curren-t, all as is well known. The engine also operates an interrupter 4S which is included 1n an inducing ignition circuit arranged to be supplied with current from the battery or generator and which includes the primary or inducing winding 49 having one terminal 'connected with the arcuate contact 25 and its vother terminal grounded through the interrupter and also through the condenser 5t) that are in shunt relation. 'lhe engine also operates the-timing'- switch 51 whose switch arm isin theinduced ignition circuit that contains the induced winding 52, as is un derstood. The main head lamps 53 and 54 are in parallel, being connected by the conimon conductor 55, with the. contact 26' and with contact 26 through the light dimming resistance 28. The front parking or supplemental head lamps 56 are in parallel, being connected by a common.A conductor 57 with the contact 22. The usual tail light. 58, also available as a. rear parking lamp, is connect.- ed with the contacts 20 and 24. The battery andV generator are permanently connected with the contacts 27 and 36. The battery and generator are placed into and outof connectioawith the arcuate contact-s 21 and 23 by. suitable adjust-ment of the contact carrier: 32 eli'ected as hitherto described, the contacts 33, 3.4 Closing a common gap in the inducing ignition circuit and the mam head i the frontparking lamp lamp circuit when these contacts engage contacts 35, 36, the remaining gap in the ignition circuit being closed when the arcuate ignition contact 25 is in circuit with one or the other of the arcuate contacts 21, 23. The remaining gap in the main head lamp circuit is then also closed by the engagement of the contact 19 with either contact 26 or 26. Thus, the ignition and main head lamp circuits include the contacts 34, 36, while the parking circuits are always adapted to be opened and closed independently of these contacts. By this arrangement, the main head lamps can not glare when the ignition is open and the car is parked. When the switch is in Ott position, all circuits controlled thereby are open. In the OE position, the contact 17 upon the metallic contact carrying ring 14 engages the-contact 22 but as the ring is not then connected with either of the current source contacts 21 or 23, the front parking lamp circuit is not continued beyond contact 17 and ring 14, this parking lamp circuit thus being then open. The contacts 19 and 25 are also then in engagement but the ignition circuit is then properly open at 33, 34, 35, 36, as well as being open by the disconnection of the ring troni contact 21 or 23. The tail lamp circuit is then open for a similar reason, as is also the main head light circuit.

When the switch is placed in Day7 position, contact 17 engages the battery contact 21 and Contact 19 remains in engagement with the ignition circuit Contact 25, making the ignition circuit effective and controllable by the handle if it is closed at its gap 33, 34, 35, 36. When the switch is in its Day position, none of the lighting system contacts is in circuit, the ring 14 having then no connection therewith.

When the switch is in Park position, contact 19 is disengaged from contact 25 to break the ignition circuit at this point, the zu'itch then also being thrown to open circuit at 33, 34, 35, 36. Contact 17 then cngages contact contact 19; contact 24; contact 18; contact 22; and contact 16; current source contact 27 to close circuit through 56 and the tail or rear parking lamp 58. If the switch is in Dim7 position, contact 17 engages contact 23 and contact 19, contact 26, to establish circuit for the main head lamps 53, 54 through resistance 28 to furnish dim light at the main head lamps providing contact 34 engages contact 36. The contact 18 then engages the ignition circuit contact to close the ignition circuitgap at this point. this circuit as well as the main head lamp circuit being linally closed or open at 33, 34, 35, 36. The tail or rear parking lamp 58 is then also connected in circuit by the engagement of the contacts 16 and 20. The trent parking lamps are then in open circuit as their contact 22 is not then in connection with ring 14. If the switch is thrown to Bright position, contact 19 engages contact 26 and contact 16 engages current source contact 21 to close circuit through the main head lamps 53, 54 exclusively of the dimming resistance 28. At thisl time contact 18 still engages ignition contact 25 to render the ignition system operative it the contacts 33, 34, 35, 36 are in connection. The tail lamp circuit is then also closed because of the engagement of contacts 17 and 24, but the front parkingr lamps are then not in circuit because their contact 22 has no connection with the ring 14. The gaps between contact 22 and contacts 21 and 23 are narrower than the ring contacts engaging them, and the gaps between contact 24 and the contacts 23, 25 are narrower than the ring contacts engaging them to keep the main head lamp circuit intact while changing between Dim and Bright and to prevent the ignition circuit from being opened whatever may be the adjustment that is being effected of the lighting arrangement by the switch.

In some systems the front parking illumination is effected by a dimming of the head lamps and without employing supplemental head lamps. I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the employment ot supplemental head lamps in the front parking light circuit, nor do I wish to be limited `to the character or purpose of the light circuits which, with or apart from the i lnition circuits are governed by the switch handle.

Changes may be from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. An electric circuit controlling switch constructed to prevent its unauthorized circuit making and breaking manipulation comprising a casing, a pair of rotatable contact carriers within said casing, one of which is in the form of a ring and the other of which is located within the one of ring form, a lug projecting inwardly from said first mentioned contact carrier and a lug projecting outwardly from said second mentioned contact carrier, said lugs cooperating to produce a lost motion connection between said contact carriers, and an operating handle outside said casing connected with one of said Contact carriers.

2. An electric circuit controlling switch constructed to prevent its unauthorized circuit making and breaking manipulation comprising a. casing, a fixed contact carrier within said casing, a pair of movable contact carriers within said casing having contacts, respectively, adapted for cooperation with contacts carried by said xed contact carrief, One of said movable contact carriers made without departing being in the form of a ring and the other being located within the one` of ring form, a handle mov-ably mounted on Said easing and extending eXterio-rly o the latter, Said 5 handle being connected with said Contact carrier of ring form for moving the same, a pin extending from a portion of said handle within the casing, said second mentioned movable Contact earrier being mounted on said pin, and a loat motion connection between said movable Contact carriers.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto .subscribe my name.

JOHN HNELSON. 

